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DYM Position Description
DYM Position Description

 

 

Director of Youth Ministries
First Congregational Church

United Church of Christ
Cheshire, Connecticut

POSITION SUMMARY:

To encourage and empower youth in order to increase their knowledge and enrich their experience of the Christian faith.  To provide enthusiastic and consistent leadership for the youth ministry program.  And to work collegially with staff and lay leaders in deepening and expanding our congregation’s ministry to youth.


OUR CONGREGATION:

First Congregational Church is a larger (800+ member) church serving a suburban population in central Connecticut.  Youth Ministry is a vital component of our church, reaching our congregation’s children as well as youth throughout the community.

THE YOUTH MINISTRY PROGRAM:

The program includes middle school and high school students, with participation distributed evenly. The middle school includes 7th and 8th grade, and the high school reaches 9th through 12th graders.  We regularly have 40+ students at group sessions on Sunday evenings, and approximately 40 students and adults participate in our annual summer mission trip.

JOB DESCRIPTION: 

Youth Ministry

  • Lead inviting and participatory youth group meetings and worship time.
  • Actively reach out to all youth of the congregation to encourage continued growth in their individual faith journeys.
  • Envision (with resource adults and youth) the themes, activities, worship, youth events, retreats, lock-ins, etc., that reinforce a vibrant youth ministry program.
  • Plan collaboratively with resource adults and any youth interested in creating the yearly youth ministry calendar. 
  • Provide well planned programs to aid resource adults and youth interested in leading weekly meetings.
  • Coordinate and collaboratively plan all aspects of the mission experience for senior high youth.  This includes recruiting resource adults according to our church guidelines, and leading the trip.
  • Enthusiastically promote youth visibility and integration with the entire congregation (e.g., intergenerational programming, prayer partners)
  • Care responsibly for all issues associated with the operation of a youth group by knowing, understanding, and following the church’s safety policies and procedures.
  • Provide active listening to the issues and concerns of the youth and refer them to other counseling resources when appropriate.

 

Administrative 

  • Take initiative and responsibility to see that the administrative tasks and day-to-day operation of the group are cared for, including permission slips, transportation, supplies, schedule of meals, volunteer schedules and parent helpers. 
  • Provide communication with parents, resource adults, and youth through the church newsletter, web site, phoning, personal contacts, postcards, e-mail, announcements and letters.
  • Manage the youth ministry portion of the Christian Education budget in collaboration with the Minister of Christian Education.
  • Maintain a good rapport and communication with staff through weekly staff meetings and monthly meetings with the Minister of Christian Education.
  • Assist in leading Sunday morning worship services 
  • Oversee the ordering of supplies and resource materials.
  • Maintain consistent office hours.
  • Attend monthly meetings of the Board of Christian Education (to present Youth Ministries Report).
  • Lead monthly resource adult meetings.
  • Attend church retreats.

 

PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL GROWTH

Members of the ministry staff are strongly encouraged to attend to their own spiritual lives with time taken for personal devotions, retreats, connections with other Christian youth workers, and continuing theological education.  The Director of Youth Ministries is encouraged to attend workshops, conferences with and about youth as approved and funded by the Board of Christian Education. 

 

SUPERVISION RECEIVED


As a member of the staff team, the Director of Youth Ministries reports to the Senior Minister on a day-to-day basis and to the Staff-Parish Relations Committee with regard to employment and compensation issues.  


HOURS

This position is for 20 hours a week, to include Sundays.


EDUCATION AND WORK EXPERIENCE

The ideal candidate will have three or more years of experience in a youth leadership program and a pertinent bachelor’s degree.  Successful candidates will have demonstrated personal attributes such as enthusiasm, creativity, dependability, responsibility, and self-motivation.  Ordination is preferred but not required.